Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Do you use video as part of a marketing strategy?

If so the Society for New Communications Research wants to understand what, why and how you're doing. You can take the (very manageable) survey here. (Disclosure: I'm a Founding Fellow of the SNCR.)

Doesn't matter if you're part of a B2B, B2C or non-profit, they're interested in learning more about video as a marketing and storytelling device for organizations. Here's the brief that accompanies the survey:

Research Project Overview
The Organizational Use of Video Storytelling will address the following questions:

How are organizations using and disseminating video today?
Who are the primary audiences for organizational storytelling using video?
What are primary reasons driving organizations’ video strategies, and how big a priority is it?
How has online video changed the ways organizations create and disseminate their stories?
What are the best practices in leveraging video to reach audiences in new ways, and what organizations are doing it well?
How are organizations using video podcasts, YouTube, and other online video platforms, and measuring the success of their video efforts?
What are the trends for online video as storytelling for the next 3-5 years?
How has this "video storytelling" changed the structure, content, and delivery of the “defining” organizational story?
Is the use of video changing the quality and transparency of organizations' stories?
What are the new rules for storytelling success when using online video?

Every organization has stories designed to communicate who they are to both external and internal audiences. Stories are a powerful force for internal innovation and external customer connection. The results of this study will yield insight into best practices for organizations wanting to leverage video to reach audiences and tell their stories in new ways.

Hope you'll help my colleagues out and take the survey if this is part of your work for an organization.

Labels: ,


Comments:
"The shortest distance between two people is a story."

I've been experimenting with 2 minute "story style - playing with different forms of stories (analogies, visual metaphors, references to other stories, telling stories, etc..." - sort of organizational poetry - here's a link to the videos (love to get some feedback):

http://www.vimeo.com/user2343092/videos

Stories certainly do a great job of encoding messages. They also work in some other interesting ways.

The "leaders develop leaders," movement started 20+ years ago in places like GE, Pepsi and Shell brought forward the power of teachable moments and conversation. Story-based forms of communication are present in meaningful conversations. It's the peer to peer, informal channels of communication in organizations that carry values, tacit knowledge, personal experiences outside the domain of work that are relevant and meaningful, etc... Stories are operating in these interactions all the time.

Often, the only reason to share a story is to elicit stories from ourselves and others. Leaders need to spend more time eliciting stories than telling them. Actively listen to the stories and watch how they can improve communications and build satisfying, productive, rewarding relationships.

Story-based communication skills can be developed in leaders and throughout the organization. We've all got them. No one is deficient. It's just a function of how often and consciously we put them to work. These skills go beyond "telling stories" skills. Here are some resources to learn more about this research and a tool (awarded the HR Leadership Award from the Asia Pacific HR Congress):

Model of Story-based Communication Skills:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/30323599/Story-Based-Communication-Skills

Here's a link to a short online version of the assessment (and complimentary for this group):
http://www.makingstories.net/assessment/BCA_short_form.htm

Full length version of Assessment Tool:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16720751/Breakthrough-Communication-Asssessment-Tool

Book of Breakthrough Communication Skills Development Exercises:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/15909358/Breakthrough-Communication-Self-Development-Exercises

Sample Experiential/Active Learning Activity:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/11926462/Book-Sample-Once-Upon-A-Time-Using-StoryBased-Activities-to-Develop-Breakthrough-Communication-Skills

Here's a tool to help leaders select a story:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/15074624/Gargiulo-Selecting-Stories-Tool-for-Leaders

Here's a piece on Leaders & Stories: Thin Line Between Truth & Manipulation:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/19630141/Leaders-Stories-Thin-Line-Between-Manipulation-Truthfulness

Hope some of these are helpful to folks. This is area of deep passion and practice for me - so feel free to reach out.

Warm regards,
Terrence Gargiulo
President, MAKINGSTORIES.net
http://www.makingstories.net
terrence@makingstories.net
cell: 415-948-8087
 
This comment has been removed by the author.
 
I think Video marketing is one of the most useful ways to reach a targeted audience. You can easily put your video on youtube or other leading websites and see instant results.
 
TRUE. Besides it's the easiest way. Wish i could make some good videos for my sites.
 
Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?